On Tuesday night the New York Mets suffered a 7-6 loss against the Florida Marlins in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Tuesday’s game was the second game of a three game series, and the mets were looking for a win after Monday night when they suffered a more painful loss ending with a score of 10-3.

Jason Bay, in his first season with the Mets, hit a fly ball in the top of the first inning in order to bring in Angel Pagan. Pagan scored the first run of the game for the Mets, and during the top of the third inning the Mets were able to score two more runs making the score 3-0.

However, the Marlins put an end to their lead by scoring a total of six runs in the bottom of the third. The fourth, fifth, and sixth innings were scoreless until the Mets got another run in the top of the seventh. Finally in the top of the ninth inning the Mets rallied, and were able to put two more points on the board tying the score 6-6.

Despite the great fight by the New York Mets in the ninth inning, the Marlins proved to be unstoppable for the second night in a row. Dan Uggla hit a single, which allowed Jorge Cantu to score another one for the Marlins.

The Marlins may have won on Monday and Tuesday, but the New York Mets will have a chance to redeem themselves. The Mets will play their next and final game in this three game series against the Florida Marlins on Wednesday, June 30, 2010.

Get your New York Mets Tickets from Select A Ticket now!

New York is the largest city in the U.S. and as such it is natural that its residence would be proud and that their pride would infest everything from art an culture to sports. New York is the only city that hosts two major sports teams in each of the major sports (I’m including the Nets in the NBA).

Any time a city hosts more thatn one team in the same sport, one of the two teams is bound to be consider predominant Some examples are the Cubs in Chicago, the Lakers in L.A., and the Mets in New York.

There are numerous reasons for this, but generally speaking, I think its safe to say that its all about tradition. The Mets have had some great teams, and their 1986 World Series victory was one of the most thrilling of all time. But as long as the Yankees are in town, the Mets will always be New York’s #2 team.

But that’s okay. The people of Queens are proud of their team and baseball at Citi Field are as exciting as anywhere in baseball. Grab some Mets tickets and enjoy the magic.

The Mets are a proud franchise that have been so close to greatness in the past few years. But they haven’t been able to close the deal on the playoffs in the past few seasons. This year, in particular, there are questions about how the Mets will handle the trade deadline.

Generally the trade deadline may mean one of two things for your team. If a team is performing well and has a chance to make the playoffs, then they team may be looking to acquire a player or two (usually on a short term basis) who can help them win it all.

If a team is struggling and has little or no real chance to make the playoffs, that team may look to unload huge payroll players which can help them beef up for next season.

In the Mets’ case, it may be somewhere in between this year. At this point, they are 10.5 games out of first place and may be looking to dump someone, however they are a talented team and they may think they can make a run if they make a move or two. Mets ticket sales could also be a factor. Stay tuned.

The Mets were happy to see the end of Joel Pineiro for the rest of their series with St. Louis, as the Cardinals pitcher put up a performance to remember in silencing the Mets bats, as well as creating som offense to help out his own cause in the Cards 3-0 win at Citi Field on Tuesday.

Pineiro picked up the first hit of the night for St. Louis in the third inning when he doubled. He then came home to score the first of the Cards runs, and as it turns out, the only one they really needed. On the mound, he truly shone, sitting down Met after Met and throwing only 100 pitches in the contest. He didn’t even allow a fly ball until the fifth inning, when Omir Santos flied out to end that inning. Pineiro allowed two hits and one walk and one HBP but was able to erase two of those four baserunners on double play ground balls.

Additional offensive support came from Albert Pujols who increased his league leading RBI total to 70 with a two run single in the seventh inning.

The Cardinals beat the Mets for the fourth time in five meetings this year and won for the first time at the new Citi Field. The game was delayed by rain for 52 minutes in the top of the third inning – a fact that makes Pineiro’s performance even more incredible.

This is turning into a great series. Grab some Mets tickets and enjoy the next two games at Citi Field.

While most of the league was off on Monday, the Mets were hosting a Make up game with the St. Louis Cardinals, and it worked out better than a day off for the Mets as the sent St. Louis packing with a 6-4 win. Despite the two home runs by St. Louis – one from Ryan Ludwick, and one from Brendan Ryan – the Mets were able to overcome with solid pitching and good hitting of their own.

Daniel Murphy hit a home run for New York, while Tim Redding pitched seven inning, giving up only five hits. Luis Castillo, and Omir Santos has perfect nights from the plate for the Mets as well going 3-3 and 4-4 respectively.

The free win leaves the Mets only 2.5 games back in the NL East behind Philadelphia with a chance to cut even further into it before the All Star break next week. The two clubs have been the class of the NL East for years and continue to vie for dominance in the north east.

However, the past few years have been owned by the Phillies as cataclysmic late-season collapses have left the Mets on the sidelines the past two season, culminating in Philadelphia’s World Series Championship last October.

Grab some Mets tickets and head down to Citi Field and help the Mets out on their quest to overcome their past and take the NL East crown at last.

Coming off of a very disappointing series against one of baseball’s most disappointing teams, it’s time for a little assessment. Larry Brooks of the New York Post had some hard reality for the New York Post yesterday:

“They are the residue of their historic collapse last September, a consequence of a flawed roster and a fragile rotation. They are a disappointment, no matter how much they wish to massage it, no matter how much they may detest their reflection in their own mirrors.”

Forget the fact that they mitigated the damage on Wednesday with an 8-2 win over the Mariners. It’s only a small consolation when you consider the all out drubbing they incurred the night before, losing 0-11.

Brooks says that this is the very definition of a mediocre team—to win a few, and then lose a few, as if they were ambling through life, without consideration of their actual performance.

The franchise would suggest that they’re taking their mediocrity very seriously, taking actions that demonstrate the repellent nature of said patchiness. I mean, why else did they fire Willie Randolph? Interim manager, Jerry Manuel suggested that it was time for tough decisions on Tuesday night after their embarrassing loss. What do you suppose he meant by that?

Time will tell. Let’s hope that those interested in buying Mets tickets in the coming months are able to stay patient.

Will the Mets have a new manager? That’s the latest question to be considered by New York sports fans and the Mets Ownership. Why is this a question? They’ve got a $140 million dollar payroll, and not even a .50 record to show for it.

In addition to a less than awesome season with the Mets, Willie Randolph is taking heat for some comments about race. He suggested several days ago that his skin color might be a factor in the way the public and the media perceives his ability to run the team.

Ian O’Connor from The Record says that Randolph has good reason for suggesting this:

“As the de facto offensive coordinator of Joe Torre’s dynastic Yanks, Randolph was rejected as a candidate for one managerial job after another, this while every white bullpen catcher and his brother got a gig.

“Does anyone really believe that a white man who was a two-time champion Yankee as a player and a four-time champion Yankee as a coach would’ve waited as long as Randolph did before a franchise finally called his number? Especially when that man was considered a stabilizing force in those crazy George-Billy-Reggie, Bronx-is-burning days?”

Maybe Randolph has a point. Maybe if he was white, the vultures wouldn’t be circling quite so soon. But he also has to take accountability for the fact that for the last 160 games the Mets have gone 78-82. This is not good for an expensive team trying to sell Mets tickets.

Last week I reported how Mets fans have never seen a no-hitter from their team in it’s entire history, even though Mike Pelfrey came close last week. But last night, the first no-hitter of the 2008 season occurred. And what’s truly remarkable, is the person who did it.

The Red Sox haven’t had a lefty no-hitter in 52 years. Red Sox pitcher, Jon Lester, got to be the person to break that streak. He threw 130 pitches against the Kansas City Royals, without a hit. He had nine strike outs and walked only two. And what’s more impressive is the fact that this 24-year-old is a cancer survivor.

Less than two years ago Lester was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He missed the final weeks of the 2006 season.

Manager Terry Francona admits to being a wreck in the dugout in the dugout during the 9th inning. As Lester was mobbed by teammates on the mound after the last strike, Francona joined the celebration, giving him a huge hug.

It was a special day for a team that has had its share of inspirational victories over the last few years. But even with two amazing World Series wins, this might stand aside as a special victory for a great team, and an equally great pitcher.

Here’s some good news for New York baseball fans. Yankees and Shea stadium are some of the cleanest in the nation. In other words, you can buy Mets tickets and a hot dog at the game with very little worry.

The report claims that Shea stadium had 58 health violations in 2007 which might not inspire confidence. But when you consider the fact that Angels stadium racked up 732, the Mets come off looking sparkling clean.

Of the Angels stadium, the Daily News reports:

“There was also a major vermin violation in April that forced the shutdown of a food stand.”

It further reports:

“The A’s McAfee Coliseum reported 493 violations, several of which came from food being exposed to “overhead leakage, dirt, insects, rodents and chemical contamination.”

The cleanest of all of the stadiums was the Colorado Rockies home, Coors Field, which only showed 16 violations.

So how is all of this supposed to make us feel? It’s like those reports that find that only .05% of our food is in fact rat feces, something that’s apparently supposed to reassure us. Yay!

I still don’t like the idea that there would ever be an incidence of violation of any health code in any organization distributing food. But it appears that both Shea and Yankees stadium are making great efforts to minimize the risks.

If there has ever been a silly controversy, it’s the recent uproar over Carlos Delgado not making a curtain call after a standing ovation for his performance against the Atlanta Braves on Sunday.

They wanted him to return to the field and tip his hat to the fans. On one hand, it might have been a nice gesture given the fact that he’s been booed more times any recent Mets player. And two home runs aren’t anything to laugh at. He deserved the applause.

But he felt that it wasn’t one of those moments that deserved the curtain call. He said that if it had been a clinching game of a pennant race or the World Series, then yes, it would have certainly been a moment deserving of a grand gesture.

Maybe it was the right moment. Maybe it wasn’t. I guess it’s all a matter of what the fans think and expect, and clearly he didn’t judge their expectations correctly.

But there’s a part of me that’s got to side with Delgado. Everyone expects big moments all of the time. Have you noticed how pretty much every concert you go there’s going to be an encore? And if the performers are school aged children, you better believe there’s going to be a standing ovation.

Perhaps Delgado has a better bead on what’s appropriate than the general public does. Which is why I say this is a silly controversy. I hope that the ticket buying fans of the Mets will hand him another olive branch the next time he has a big moment. And hopefully he’ll be able to read their expectations better. But until then, it’s a silly issue.

One thing that’s great about having an ace pitcher is that you can count on losing streaks to come to a screeching halt every five games or so. Such was the case for the Mets with their superstar pitcher, Johan Santana, destroying the offense of the Washington Nationals. The New York Times reports:

“Santana allowed two runs and seven hits. He struck out four, retiring 9 of his final 10 hitters. As a bonus, he hit two doubles. See Santana hit. See Santana pitch. See Mets win.”

It truly was an outstanding performance by the Mets. There were no errors. They had four stolen bases. The pitching of course was outstanding by Santana, not to mention his two doubles. Talk about earning your paycheck.

The Mets also decided to mix up the batting order a little. Randolph dropped Delgado down to the sixth spot. This paid off with Beltran doubling in the second inning and scoring on an RBI groundout by Delgado.

The fact of the matter is that the Mets are a tough team to beat with Santana on the mound. Let’s hope that for those who buy Mets tickets on the other four nights, that there won’t be any more losing streaks for Santana to break.

The Shea stadium’s final opening game was not a victory for the home team. More embarrassing than that, the Mets lost to the Phillies again. Ouch!

Not only did the Mets hope for redemptions from last year’s total collapse at the Phillies hands. This marked the ninth straight loss to the Phillies for this franchise. Of this streak, David Wright is quoted in the Daily News as saying:

“It’s not significant whatsoever. We’re talking about a different team. We’re talking about a new year. It’s unfortunate what happened last year, but that’s past us. As far as I’m concerned, we’re 0-1 against the Phillies this year, we’re 0-2 against the Braves and we need to do a better job.”

The Mets do need to do a better job, as the final score of 5-2 denotes.

Perhaps the evening is epitomized by Carlos Delgado’s throw to second base in an attempt for a possible double play hit Chase Utley in the back, flying off into the outfield. This error allowed two runs to score for Phillies.

With the new stadium being built, one has to ask, “Is Shea Stadium doomed to relive past disappointments?” Maybe we need to just wait to buy tickets for the Mets when the new stadium is built.  Maybe then we can hope for a championship. The season is still young, but the talented but under performing Mets need to get with the program.

Last week’s most popular events were again dominated by the beginning of the Major League Baseball season. No surprise as this is the final scheduled season for both Yankee and Shea Stadiums in the New York area so fans are lining up to get their last glimpse of the home buildings they’ve all grown up with.

The top events were as follows:

New York Yankees Tickets vs Tampa Bay

New York Mets Tickets vs Philadelphia

Kenny Chesney Tickets

Steely Dan Tickets

Tickets to The Lion King on Broadway 

One times while managing a retail store I had a sales representative for our company come in and brag about how great he had been a few years previously in the same role. He went on and on about how he beat all of these sales records.

And then he failed to deliver. He turned out to be mediocre at best. Maybe he had broken all of those records in past years, but he certainly wasn’t at the top of his game anymore. More than anything, I realized how he had set our expectations at a level that would be very hard to achieve.

The same goes for Johan Santana. I have no doubt that compared with other paychecks in the League, he’s well deserving of his $137.5 million contract. But what that does is set an extremely high standard. It tells everyone in the franchise and everyone who’s buying Mets tickets that he’s going to be amazing in every game. Talk about pressure.

Speaking of the these expectations, Shaun Powell of Newsday.com says:

“Yes, they want shutouts, strikeouts, maybe a no-hitter if you please, and plenty of good stuff, all the luxuries you’d expect from a two-time Cy Young winner who has the impossible task of making that $137.5 million seem like a bargain. And they want it now, like today, in his second start . . . ”

When all was said and done, Santana asked for it by driving for the contract. I hope he earns it.

As I reported earlier this week, the fifth starting position has been waving in the wind the last few weeks. It seemed to be down to Orlando Hernandez and Mike Pelfrey. Hernandez is a star but he’s struggled with his health. Pelfrey has simply pitched poorly this spring.

But it seems that the wait is nearly over. The Mets plan on making Hernandez the fifth starter if he plays well today in the Grapefruit League start. This is impressive given the fact that he’s had to totally redesign his pitching style to accommodate a bunion on his foot. To even be considered for the position shows the level of trust the management puts in him. There is something to be said for an incredible work ethic and experience.

Pelfrey has shown a lot of anxiety over the decision, hoping for the contest to be decided and over with. He’d rather not be the starting pitcher than not know if he’s going to be. Not exactly the kind of tenacious attitude one would hope from a star pitcher.

Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post reports Hernandez’s response to the situation:

“Worry? I no worry. When the Cuban government suspended me from baseball for life, I worry a long time. This is just pitching.”

Maybe it’s that fierce but calm attitude that gives El Duque the upper hand in this contest. Make sure to get your Mets tickets now.

So the Mets have a difficult challenge on their hands. Who should they pick for their 5th starting pitcher? They could have chosen a four man rotation to use until April 12th, but they felt that Pedro Martinez will play the best with the extra rest. So this gives them a choice between Orlando Hernandez and Mike Pelfrey.

Hernandez, otherwise known as El Duque, allowed five runs in three innings in the Mets recent loss to the Cardinals. Of course, his huge challenge is the bunion on his foot, which has forced him to completely readjust his entire style of pitching. It’s pretty remarkable to think that he’d even be considered as a starter. But his recent poor performance has made the powers that be readjust their expectations.

Then there’s Mike Pelfrey who Adam Rubin of the Daily News refers to as the “unproven underachiever.” Ouch. But given his performance against the Cardinals, allowing eight runs in 4-1/3 innings, I think the description is apt.

So what do the Mets do? In the long sports tradition of understating the truth, GM Omar Minaya says, “As a whole, you wish it would have been a better day.” So they’ve decided not to decide. All of those fans who purchase Mets tickets right now won’t know who they’ll be seeing on the mound in that fifth spot.

El Duque thinks that even with a bunion on his right big toe he can starting pitch 30 games this season. He might be pipe dreaming given the fact that he hasn’t started 30 games since 1999. But there’s no doubt that he’s looking decent in spite of his foot condition.

Known for his high kick, he’s had to adjust his form to protect his toe. His new pitching stance puts less pressure on the toe. It keeps his foot flat on the mound.

Although the speed of his pitch isn’t anything amazing, it should be pointed out that he pitched 72% strikes with his new form.

Adam Rubin of the Daily News says:

“Mets brass continues to downplay any suggestions that El Duque’s reduced leg kick will drastically reduce his deception. Peterson said Hernandez’s primary deception came from changing arm angles and speeds.”

He suggests that it may be in the Mets best interest to keep him on the disabled list at first, allowing for them to carry a six-man bench, and then activating him as a fifth starter on April 12th when they face the Brewers.

Either way, it’s impressive that Hernandez could learn a new method to play the same game. That is, in my opinion, real athleticism. To see this great athlete in action make sure to get your Mets tickets now.

I just read a great article at the New York Post by Joel Sherman about the return of Darryl Strawberry to the Mets as an instructor.

He claims that Strawberry’s return is a cautionary tale from a ball club of yesteryear that had it’s chance at greatness, but blew it.

“We should have won three titles, heck, we should have won four,” he said. “We should have been like the Yankee teams I was on in the late ’90s that just rolled to a bunch of titles.”

He comes to the Mets this time as a an outfield instructor. But perhaps his leadership will do more than instruct.  Maybe he’ll be able help a team of enormous potential and talent pull it together. He blames his team’s failure in the 80’s to a total lack of focus. They were a team of party animals (his cocaine and alcohol abuse is well known).  That reckless attitude blew their opportunity to win several championships.

This new Mets team is not unlike the old. The last two seasons have brought huge disappointment to fans expecting their front runner team to go all of the way. Last season, they did what seemed like a mathematical impossibility, blowing a seven game NL East lead in 17 games.

Needless to say, this is a season with high hopes by all. Be sure to buy your Mets tickets now.

So, as everyone willing to buy NY Mets tickets knows, their favorite franchise just spent $137.5 million of their dollars on Johan Santana. Judging by his opening performance in spring training, they may be asking for their money back. He gave away three runs on four hits.

My high school wrestling coach emphasized to us that he wasn’t as concerned whether we won or lost. He was more concerned with how well we performed and progressed as an athlete in the match. The coaching staff for the Mets sounded like they had adopted this same “winning isn’t everything” attitude. Bart Hubbuch at the New York Post quoted Mets pitching coach, Rick Peterson, as saying:

“A very positive day. Johan threw the ball outstanding.”

Santana himself echoed this positive sentiment:

“This is just the beginning. The numbers might say something different, but I felt good.”

Now I realize that there’s more to a performance than the numbers might show. And this is just spring training. He’s getting warmed up. He’s trying new things. He’s getting his groove.

Third basement Troy Glaus says, “He’s still Johan – good fastball, good change-up and good control.”

But I’ve just got to say for the record that these wonderful attributes aren’t going to mean anything if he doesn’t bring real victories in the regular season.

I was fascinated to read on SI.com about Santana’s hard won contract battle. Apparently, earlier in the day he had made his views clear through his agent that he wanted $140 million. The Mets were holding to $135 million.

Santana then flew from Florida to New York to make his stance firm. He arrived, with five minutes left in negotiations, and told them that he wanted $140 million and if they couldn’t offer that, he’d have to pass.

Mets COO, Jeff Wilpon, replied:

“I’ve been in business a long time. That’s a lot of money to walk away from.”

Santana’s response was confident:

“No disrespect to you. But I deserve it. I’ll just go back and pitch and I’ll get it later.

Santana then made reference to Alex Rodriguez, the highest paid player in the game. He then asserted that he’s the best pitcher and he’s not asking for that much.

In the end, Mr. Santana got his wish. The Mets asked for a two hour extension on the negotiation to reach an agreement. Two hours later, while splitting the difference, they agreed to $137.5 million.

Hopefully, for Mets fans, he’ll be just as competitive on the field as he was at the negotiation table. For Mets tickets, feel free to buy online.

The Mets have what Ben Shpigel of the New York Times calls, “the best pitcher in baseball.” The agreement process sounds a bit grueling. It took 72 hours and 90 minutes. The final cost: $137.5 million over 6 years. That is some big cash. But they feel it is worth the price for the former left handed pitcher from the Minnesota Twins.

The Mets first had to aquire the rights to negotiate with him. They made a deal with the Twins, giving them four prospects. The Twins gave them 72 hours to make the deal with Santana. When it appeared that they needed a little more time, they petitioned the Twins for another 2 hours, which they were given.

The haggling that went on to secure this deal was obviously two sided. The Mets wanted to give Santana a five-year deal, but he was demanding six. In the end, he got his way, and he got his extremely generous contract.

The Mets had a strong team this last year that ended prematurely. The hope is that this will put an extra positive spin on a potentially great 2008 season.

Mets tickets should sell well without him. But with a genuine star pitcher, his presence will hopefully pay for itself.

Johan Santana’s agent met with the New York Mets yesterday to get closer to an agreement to bring Santana from Minnesota Twins. There’s not a lot of time to negotiate. The deadline to reach a deal is 5pm EST tomorrow (Friday).

No one is talking (except the two sides in negotiation) details. The deal could be worth more than $120 million over six or seven years. It’s expected that the deal will happen. Then all that needs to happen is that Santana passes a physical (no problem).

Santana’s agent already represents two Met’s players: All-Star shortstop Jose Reyes and reserve outfielder Endy Chavez (who the Mets just brought on last week).

The Mets are going all out. They are trading four prospects: speedy outfielder Carlos Gomez, and pitchers Philip Humber, Kevin Mulvey and Deolis Guerra.

Hopefully this will energize the Mets after their collapse in September. Mets tickets have been selling well regardless. Even without Santana, the Mets already have sold 1.75 million tickets for their final season in Shea Stadium. That’s up 100,000 from last year at the same time period.

The Yankees, and the Boston Red Sox also flirted with bringing on Santana. The Twins can’t afford to keep him and he’s becoming a free agent this year.

Note: Mets tickets are on sale now, starting on February 26 with Spring training.

On to the news. Endy Chavez is getting a big raise (even though less than the $2,075,000 he asked for). Yesterday he signed for $3.85 million over the next two years. That number goes up for 2009. Last year Chavez made $1,725,000. He’ll get $1.8 million this season and $2.05 million in 2009. On top of that he can add on $250,000 in bonuses this year and $375,000 in bonuses in 2009.

His deal calls for bonuses this year of $25,000 for 100 games, $50,000 each for 110, 120 and 130 games, and $25,000 each for 350, 375 and 400 plate appearances. In 2009, he would make $50,000 for 100 games, $75,000 each for 110, 120 and 130 games and $25,000 each for 325, 350, 375 and 400 plate appearances.

Chavez didn’t finish the season last year because he strained his left hamstring. Then last month he hurt his right hamstring on his right ankle. He batted .287 with one homer and 27 RBIs in 150 at-bats.

Don’t miss this year’s Met’s season. Here is the list of Mets tickets available now. This is the last year to see the Mets in historic Shea Stadium before next year’s season at the new Citi Field.